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[bigpond news] Primus Telecom, Internode and iiNet have been named by the Australian government as the first retail providers to offer services on the planned $43 billion national broadband network, currently being rolled out in Tasmania.

While Australian Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says the announcement marks another milestone in the project, most analysts believe the project’s success hinges on the government’s ability to get Telstra on board to help build the infrastructure.

Tasmania is being used as a pilot for the high-speed, fibre-to-the-home network.

The first services are expected to begin in July.

Potential broadband providers named